Anchor-box



H. A. GOETZ.

ANGHQR BOX. Patented Mar. 27, 1894.

(No Model NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. GOETZ, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

ANCHOR-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,186, dated March27, 1894.

Application lled February 13, 1893. Serial No. 462,074. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. GOETZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Albany, in the county of Floyd and State of Indiana,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Anchor-Boxes,which is fully set forth in the following specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, represents aperspective View of an anchor box embodying my inventiongFig. 2., a plansection of the same taken on the line 2. 2.of Fig. l and with the boxrepresented as set in the wall; and Fig. 3, a vertical section taken onthe line 3. 3. of Fig. 2.

My invention relates to protectors for the ends of beams which are builtinto the brick or 'stone walls of the edifice, and have for their objectthe protection of the beams from dampness and decay and from ignitionthrough proximity to smoke lines, and at the same time form, inconnection with the beams, effective lateral braces for the walls, andprovide for the self release of the beams from the protectors in case offire without injury to the walls. This device is usually made in theform of a box, open at top and front end, and of some suitable metal,usually cast in the form required. Illustrations of this dev1ce arefound in Letters Patent Nos. 386,976 and 387,004., bothdated July 3l,1888. When placed in the wall the box must, of course, be provided witha cover, as seen in the said patents, and the boxes when' built into the`wall in process of construction are intendedy to be suitably anchoredtherein so as to be rmly held and not readily displaced.

My present invention consists in certain improvements upon theconstruction of this device as shown and described in the abovementioned patents.

In the drawings I have shown a box, A, embodying my presentimprovements. This box consists of a bottom plate, B, a back plate, C,and front plate,'D, and two side plates E. The back, front and sideplates are upright or vertical to the bottom plate, and the two sideplates unite the front and back plates. It will be seen that theseupright plates form walls to a kind of box structure, the bottom ofwhich is the plate B. The side walls, E, are not parallel to each other,but are inclined outward somewhat from front to rear, so that the boxgradually widens from front to rear, as seen in. Figs. l and 2. Thefront wall, D, is not entire, but is formed with a large rectangularopening, d, for the admission of the beam. This opening is not cut downto the bottom plate, but a narrow iiange, d', something like a rib, isleft at the bottom stand- 6o ing up a little distance above the bottomplate. The rib is sometimes cutinto sections, forming upwardlyprojecting lugs, or the rib can be left out and round upwardlyprojecting lugs substituted; of these various modes the rib ispreferred. This opening in the front wall does not extend across toeither of the side plates, and, hence, there is left on each side of theopening anarrow upright section,

cl2, standing in from the front edge of each 7o of the side walls andappearing something like flanges in respect to the latter. A narrowledge or ange, F, is provided on the bottom plate, being made in onepiece therewith and arranged at the front edge of the latter, so as toextend outward in front of the rib, d. This ledge is preferably inlength about equal to the front length 'of the wall, D, and being flushwith the bottom plate, projects out immediately in front of this wall,D, as 8o seen in Figs. 1 and 3. The bottom plate, B,

is extended somewhat beyond the side Walls, thereby providing whatappear likeledges or flanges, b, with reference to the side walls,

as seen in Fig. 1. Each of the side walls, E, 8 5 is provided with aseries of projections or lugs, e, extending directly outward from theouter face of each of said walls. These lugs serve as anchors when theboxes are built into the wall, as-will be presently described, 9o andmay be of any number desired, and arranged upon the walls according tojudgment.

It will be understood, of course, that in practical use these boxes areput into position when the walls of the edifice are built, and thematerial of this wall, G, of the building is built around the box, as seen in Fig. 2, and the beam, H, is dropped into place as seen in Fig. 2,the respective ends resting, of roo course, inboxes in opposite walls ofthe building. The boxes are left open at the top for this purpose, andafter the beam is in position are closed by a suitable covering, I, laidESIWJBG over the top of the box. The beam, II, is provided with a notch,7i, on its under side which is adapted to engage with the upright flangeor rib, CZ', which is intended to enter the notch when the beam isplaced in position, as seen in Fig. 3. The upper corner at the end ofthe beam, II, is cut away so as to present an inclined or beveled edge,7i', as seen in Fig. 3, and when in place this bevel extends almost tothe front of the box, as is also seen in said Fig. 3. The box is made ofconsiderable depth so as to provide a good bearing for the beam.

Now, in operation, I secure several advantages by the presentimprovements. In the use of the bottom rib to engage with a notch on theunder side of the beam, as shown in my prior patent, No. 386,976, thebeam is weakened by the notch that must be cut in its bottom edge. Thisloss of strength is considerable when it is remembered that at the edgeof the wall a beam must alford its greatest strength. New, in my presentinvention of a` projecting flange at the front edge of the base plate Istrengthen the beam and utilize the full area of its breaking strain byproviding a support for the beam outside of the notch. Furthermore, withthis flange the beam is more readily released from the rib, for in casethe beam falls during a lire the projecting' llange acts as a fulcrumsome distance in front of the rib and notch, and so will actually liftthe notch from the rib to release the beam as soon as it begins to dropout of its normal position. The beveled corner of the beam, of course,permits the end of the beam to drop out of the box without injury to thelatter, and by the lifting of the notch from the rib, as described,there is less strain brought upon the box, and so there is less dangerofdisplacing or injuring the Wall. In the construction shown in my saidpatent, No. 386,976, I provide for locking the box in the wall by adouble incline on each side, that is the outer faces of the box sidesare inclined first inward and then outward. But this device for lockingis somewhat objectionable, for it requires very careful Work in buildingup around the box sides, and any carelessness in this respect will leavethe box insecure. With my present improvement, by incliniug the sides ofthe box outward away from each other the entiie distance from front torear,I avoid this difficulty for the flare of the sides is so great thatit does not require great care in fitting the brick or other materialaround these sides to securely lock the box. In addition to this lockingdevice, of making the boxwedge shaped in its entire depth,the additionof the exterior lugs on the sides of the box is a further means forsecurely locking the box in the wall, as these lugs serve as anchors,which, with the Wedging sides, producea bond'between the box and thewall which will make it practically impossible to remove the box fromthe wall, after it is once built in, 'without destruction of the latter.I

do not wish to be understood, however, as limiting my present inventionto the use of these lugs and inclined sides always together, for theanchor lugs may be used with any shape of box, and the inclined or wedgeshaped sides may be used with very good results, even without the lugs.i

In the prior patents referred to, several forms are shown whereby an airspace is provided around the end of the beam, the object ot which is toprevent dry rot. In these prior devices, however, it is somewhatIdilcultand expensive to provide the side guidesg'skilled labor anddry-saiid cores are required to make the boxes. But in my improvement ofproviding simple flanges on each side of the beam opening in thefrontiot the box, all these objections are overcome, for these flangesare so simple that there is no trouble Whatever in putting them `in thecasting, skilled labor is not required, and there.` is no occasion forusing dry sand cores, and. less material is necessary. At the same timeit will be seen that an ample airspace is provided on each side of thebeam within the box, as seen in Fig. 2.

I prefer to make this protecting box of ca st iron, but it may be madeof any othersuitable material that is strong enough to serve thepurpose; and some changes may be made in the particular forni andarrangement of the parts as specifically herein set forth and shown.

It will be noticed that in the shape ot the box, as described and shownin the drawings, a regular dove-tail is formed by the sides inhorizontal plane andthat consequentlya regular dove-tail joint is formedby the` box With the wall when properly built into the latter, as seenin Fig. 2, and this dove-tail joint extends the whole way from the frontto back of the box. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isn

l. An anchor box for the ends of beams in buildings, having a baseplate, and sides vertical thereto, provided witli lugs projectinglaterally therefrom at different points distributed over the surfacethereof for anchoring the box in the wall, substantially as described.

2. An anchor box having a rib rising slightly at the front edge of thebaseiplate, and a horizontal flange or ledge projecting from the baseplate in front of the rib, andthedront plate D ofthe box in combinationwitha beam provided with a notch to receive said rib, substantially asdescribed.

3. An anchor box for beams consisting ofa base and four plain verticalwalls cast in one piece, the front Wall open centrally and part wayacross to receive the beam whereby the remainder of the Wall formsastraight solid upright flange on each side of the beam when in place,substantially as described.

4. An anchor box for beams,provided with IOC IIO

sides Haring from front to rear, and a base plate provided with anupwardly projecting rib or lugs at its front edge, and a supportingIiange or ledge extending from the front edge of said plate beyond andin front of said rib, substantially as described.

5. An anchor box provided with vertical sides, having exterior anchoringlugs projecting laterally therefrom, and a base plate with an upwardlyprojecting rib or lugs at its front edge, in combination with a beamnotched 1o receive said rib or lugs, substantially as described. y

6. An anchor box provided with vertical sides, havin ga flange at thefront edge of each,

as described.

HENRY A. GOETZ. Witnesses:

SIMON EPSTEIN, F. H. GOHMANN.

